Method and apparatus for freeing the bottoms of vessels from barnacles and the like



l. W. VAN METER. 6 THE sonoms 0f vessus r APPLICAHON FILED SEPT. 15.

ismoo wd'nmnus FOR mm H A v qvyv V T i INVENTOR fines W VA METERATTORNEY Patented Oct. 3, 1922. ITED; STATES PATENm (firming,

JAmrs w. VAN METER, or sAN RAF L, cALrronmA.

METHOD AND APPAaA'rUs FOB FREEING THE BOTTOMS or vEssELs r3011 BABNAGLESAND THELI'KE.

Application filed September 15 1921. Serial No. 500,885. i

To all whom it, ma concern: r bodied in othen forms, ,and aitiis also tobe Be it known that I, JAMEstlV. VAN understood thatinand byuthe claimsfol; METER, a. citizen of the United States. of lowing the descriptionit isdesired to cover America, residing at San Rafael, in the. theinvention in whatever form it may be county of Marin and State ofCalifornia, embodied. 1 1 i l have invented certain new and useful 1m.In the accompanyingv one sheetiof draw- B rovements in Methods-andApparatus for ings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a vessel reeing theBottoms of Vessels from Barunder way, equipped :in accordance with mynacles and the like, of which the=following invention. i 1 u is aspecification. Fig. 2 is a bottom :plan view of the vessel. 65 Thepresent 'nvention is an inn roved shown in Fignl, showing-directionarrows methodand apparatus forfreein t e but used to indicate thedirection taken by'gasesa toms of vessels lirom barnacles an the likeliberated at the prow as the. vessel is underi The primary object oftheinvention'is wary. w

to provide a method and apparatus where ig. 8 is aPpe'rSpective view ofthe rev, 70 by a ships crew may rid the under water ferred form ofapparatus 'adalpted to'be portion of the hull of barnaeles and marinelowered on the stem of a ship, and showing parasites while theship isunderway. a portion hroken away to reveal acontainer It is a well knownfactlthat barnacles or h i adhere to the bottoms of vessels in such Fig.4 is a fragmentary view of a ship; 7 5 ountles number t r tl di i i hprow on a relatively larger scale. than that the vessels s eed. Thebarnaele is a marine of Figs. 1 and sand showing the method crustaceanrec-swimming in the larval of applying my invention. state, butpermanently fixed inadult state. Referring to: the drawings, the numeral11 The parent barnacle is usually found 1,- indicates the hull of a shipat sea. On the, 'tached to rocks along shore. The larvae deck of theship at 2 I show a Windlass infest the waters near shore and adhere to prated by a crank 3 for raising and low the bulls of visiting vessels,subsequently deering a chain): reeved through or over a velopinglargeculcified shells, which in the pulley 6 on'the prow. l i 1 30 aggregateadd great weight and seriously The chain 4 terminates in a ring 7, Fig.impede the vessels movements. Vessels are 3. t hich are s cured hains 4and .4; dry docked periodically and the hulls which are welded to rings.8 and 9. secured scraped to remove the parasite growth. This in eyes 11and 12 on the top surface of a entails expense and loss of time. casting13. This casting is V shaped in 6 Obviously, a method and apparatus bvplan and is designed to conform as nearly 9 which barnacles and the likemay be reas possible to the prow of the vessel. and moved in transit,and by which the parawhen lowered on the stem thereof to be held sitesmay be removed or destroyed while in ontact with the stem by momentum ofin the larval state, will be most useful and the vessel as it is loweredinto the water as 40 will effect great economy. shown in Figs. 1 and 4.At the rear of the 95 Another object of the invention is to procasting13 on each side of the hull are envide a method and apparatus for thepur larged portions which are hollow, as indipose described which willrequire a minicated at 14 in dotted lines. mum number of parts which,when not in By this means a container is provided on use may be stowedaboard in very little either side of the vessel. and each container 0'space, and which when in use may be lowis closed by a cover 16. credover the vessels prow while the vessel By my method. I liberate underwater a is under way. and the operation successfully oisonous gas and anoily film, both created carried out without interfering with the by thereaction of chlorine on metallic elenavigation of the vessel. ments inthe presencept gas producing In this specification and the annexedchemicals such as sodium cyanide. The

drawings. the invention is illustrated in the chemicals and metallicelements are loaded form considered to be the best, but it is to intothe containers 14 before the device 15 be understood that the inventionis not limlowered into the water.

55 ited to such form, because it may be em At the forward end. of the Vshaped hose 21.

es it a a w i spe d; li -s sage L8, mm aliases a unieif lil forconnection with a flexible conduit or Liquid chlorine, under pressure,is discharged fr aeoylinder 22 on the deck of the vesse g means of acontrol valve 23, and is introduced thro h hose 21 to the passage 18,which is and 24 leading to the top of the containers 14. As thechlbrin'e enters the containers 14 and ermeates the contents; an intensechemical eat is created which liberates gases. These dischar e apertures26 into the Water, close to the ull of the vessel on eitherside, asshown in Fig. 4. 1

Due to the speed of the vessel and to the bulging stream lineconfiguration of the hull, t e gases and oily film discharged rearwardlyfirointhea 'pert s 26, rakeithe vessels 'bottomand-srdes; belo'vv the'ivater line,

from stem to stern.

Attention is called to my co-pending ap licatioii forp'atent filed June9, 1921,

rial No. 4,7623%).

At 27,in Fig. 8, I show sawdust particles intermingled cyanide 28.Scattered throu hout the mixture are metallic particles 2 such as ironsnags or the-like.- I prefer to mix with the sawdust and metallicelements a quantity of creosote or other suitable oil. This films thevarious particles as shown at 31 and assists in cohesion.

As the chlorine racts on the metallic particles an intense chemical heatis created, chloro-cyanic gas is"dischar ed through ports 26, and anoily COIldQIISSfilOIl o'r scum encounters the hull of the vessel andadheles thereto. p

In redu'ciing my invention to practice, I find that adult barnacles arekilled by this A attack as when near shore.

split aml'has' legs 23 gases leave the containers 14through with finelydivided sodium:

means, and that the larvae will not attach to the famed surface.

A vessel in mid-ocean is not so liable to If the hull is clean when thevessel nears shore, and the ship is anchored for several daysnear-shore, the bottom is soon attacked by the swimming larvae. en thevessel gets under way, if my treatment he applied as described, thebottom and sides under water will be swept clean of all parasites in ashort time:

I claim: 1

1. An apparatus for freeing the bottoms of vessels from barnacles andthe like, comprising a container provided with a passage therethrou-gh,means for lowerin said con tainer over the prow of a moving vessel, andmeans for passing a stream of gas through said container while submerged'for the purpose of discharging a deadly emanation against the hull ofthe vessel.

2. An apparatus for freein the bottoms of vessels from barnacles and helike, com-' prising a V -shaped body adapted to overlie the p'row of avessel, containers in the legs of said body adapted to carrygeisdiorming elements, and means for passing a stream of chlorinethrough said body to liberate gases from said elements;

3. The method surfacesof vessels and other structures from barnacles andthe like, consisting in submergihg in proximity to such surfaces acharge of inert material which when acted upon by a reaction causingagent produces" a polsonous gas, protecting such inert material fromcontact with the water, and subjecting such inert material, while soproof freeing the submerged" tested, to the action of such reactioncausing agent.

In testimony whereof afii x my signature.

JAMES W. VAN MET R.

